Inhumans stars Hell on Wheels’Anson Mount as the head of a royal family of superheroes that’s split asunder by a military coup — as apparently were relations between ABC and Marvel over its commissioning.

ABC sources tell Variety that concerns over quality of Inhumans episodes — both the special effects of early cuts and the underpinning scripts — were a source of contention between ABC and Marvel.

In the US, the double-episode premiere was first seen theatrically last month on the IMAX circuit. Reported Variety:

Marvel, ABC, and IMAX announced the greenlight for Inhumans last November as a joint production that would see IMAX share costs with the Disney division, then premiere the first two episodes exclusively ahead of the show’s fall premiere on ABC. (The episodes air back-to-back Sept. 29 on ABC with several minutes of additional footage not seen in the IMAX feature included.)

Such crossovers between television and theatrical film are rare. When the Game of Thronesseason four finale screened in IMAX theaters over Super Bowl weekend in 2015, it drew $1.4 million in the U.S. — a shade less than the Inhumans premiere.

Thanks to the investment from IMAX, Disney divisions Marvel and ABC consider the show effectively paid for, regardless of its performance on broadcast … But the trailers for series and clips screened this summer at Comic-Con have fueled negative early buzz for the series.